


Effort from within

by JDKoopa



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:54:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22668856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JDKoopa/pseuds/JDKoopa
Summary: Claude faces the Death Knight at Fort Merceus, and is saved by an unexpected hero.
Relationships: Hilda Valentine Goneril/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	Effort from within

**Author's Note:**

> received the prompt for protection ft. hilda/claude and I kinda love this. I LOVE the idea of Claude getting in over his head and Hilda having to work to save him, so I really hope this turned out ok. These two are such a great couple. Hope you like it!

“I won’t let you hurt him!” Hilda stood between Claude and the death knight, though Claude was certain she had been taking it easy near the rear of the army.

He wasn’t quite sure how he had gotten to this point, but things at Fort Merceus had definitely not gone as planned. Nader’s forces had provided enough of a distraction to get his own men inside, but after that the fighting was more intense than they had anticipated. 

“Hilda be careful.” Claude winced as he spoke, feeling the wound in his side. He had been careless while fighting one of the beasts, trying to keep it away from his men. Now he was certain to have a couple of broken ribs at best.

“Ah, the army bearing the Crest of Flames. You have come far.” The Death Knight spoke in a cold monotone. Claude wanted to knock him down, but when he tried to move his legs buckled under the pain. Hilda helped him up, never taking her eyes off of the Death Knight.

“I don’t know what you’re doing here Death Knight, but I won’t let you lay a finger on Claude.” Hilda’s voice was confident. Claude wasn’t used to seeing her fight. It was so out of character for her, a woman who normally convinced others to do the work for her.

“You are quite protective of this boy, aren’t you? I wonder what you would do if something happened to him?” The Death Knight advanced on them, raising his scythe. He attempted to strike Claude, who was still unable to move, but Hilda took the blow in his place. She staggered back from the blow, holding her arm in the place where she had been struck.

“I told you, I won’t let you hurt him.” Her voice was shaky now. Like she was fighting more than just the Death Knight. Her instincts must have been telling her to run, to let someone else do the fighting. However, the Death Knight had separated Claude from the rest of his men. He wasn’t even sure how Hilda had reached them. There was no hope of someone else coming to save them. 

“You are brave, girl, I will grant you that.” Hilda charged the Death Knight, who dodged easily and struck her in the back with the shaft of his weapon, knocking her to the ground. “However, your fighting is sloppy. You should have spent more time practicing how to wield an axe.”

With Hilda on the ground behind him, the Death Knight slowly advanced on Claude. “Now, to take the head of the leader of this weak army. You wished to march upon us at Enbarr? Pathetic. You are no threat to us.” He swung his scythe down and Claude closed his eyes, accepting his fate.

Then he felt something warm on his face. He opened his eyes, surprised to feel anything at all. He looked up to see Hilda, on her hands and knees, blood trickling from her mouth. The Death Knight’s weapon was in her back, but he was making no move to pull it out.

“Hilda! What are you doing?” Claude cried out in disbelief. Why was she there? Why had she not stayed down behind the Death Knight?

“I… told you…” Hilda said, though her arms and legs were trembling now. “You won’t… hurt…” Before she could finish her statement, Hilda fell to the side. Blood began to pool from her wound as the Death Knight retrieved his weapon. 

“You have strong allies, Claude von Riegan. I never expected her to sacrifice herself to save you.” The Death Knight glowered down at him, standing over Hilda’s body.

“Get away from her!” Claude pulled his body over Hilda’s, willing it to guard her despite the fact it had stopped listening to him already. “Kill me if you must, but leave her. She doesn’t have to die!”

He felt the tears before he realized he was crying. This couldn’t be real. Hilda was always smiling, letting other people do the work and offering praise as payment. How could she be here, lying on the ground after protecting him?

“I must leave you now, Claude von Riegan. The girl is not dead yet, though she is suffering. You may be able to save her if you can get out of this place. If that is what you wish, gather your army and follow me, or you will have no chance.”

Claude stared in disbelief at the Knight in front of him. Not even a minute ago, he had been ready to kill Claude, and now he expected Claude to follow him to salvation? Claude wanted to laugh. Unfortunately, this was the best chance he had to save Hilda. 

“Fine. Once my men get here, we will follow you. If it means saving Hilda, I’ll do anything you ask. But if you double cross us…” Claude finally found the strength to stand. He shot an arrow into the sky, then picked up Hilda and followed the Death Knight. 

Minutes later, as Marianne tended to Hilda’s wounds from a safe distance, Claude and his soldiers watched in awed silence as Fort Merceus exploded.


End file.
